For many, Taylor Fladgate is the archetypal Port house and its wines the quintessential Ports. Established over three centuries ago in 1692, Taylor Fladgate is one of the oldest of the founding Port houses. It is dedicated entirely to the production of Port wine and in particular to its finest styles.
Above all, Taylor Fladgate is regarded as the benchmark for Vintage Port. Noted for their elegance and poise as well as for their restrained power and longevity, Taylor Fladgate’s Vintage Ports are blended from the finest wines of the firm’s own quintas or estates, Vargellas, Terra Feita and Junco. These three iconic properties, each occupying a distinct geographic location and with their own unique character, are the cornerstone of the company’s success and the main source of its unique and inimitable house style.
Taylor Fladgate is also respected as a producer of wood aged ports and holds one of the largest reserves of rare cask aged wines from which its distinguished aged tawny Ports are drawn. The house is also known as the originator of Late Bottled Vintage, a style which the firm pioneered and of which it remains the leading producer.
Above all, Taylor Fladgate is an independent company in which some family members play a leading role in all areas of the firm’s activity. The firm’s long and unbroken family tradition has provided continuity and clarity of purpose, essential attributes of any great wine house. It has also allowed the skills and knowledge required to produce the finest ports to be constantly refined and added to in the light of experience as they are passed down from one generation to the next.
Based in Oporto and the Douro Valley the company is closely involved in all stages of the production of its Ports, from the planting of the vineyard and the cultivation of the grapes to the making, ageing, blending and bottling of the wines. The family’s commitment to the future of Port is demonstrated in its single minded dedication to the highest standards in Port production, its continued investment in all aspects of the firm’s operations and its determination to preserve the unique environment of the Douro Valley through the promotion of sustainable and responsible viticulture.
Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port.
On the palate, the wine has beautifully ripe tannins, which integrate perfectly into the mid-palate, providing both structure and volume, and then break out on the finish with a firm wiry, grip. The palate closes with a powerful tide of fresh, complex fruit flowing endlessly through the finish. In the 2018, the Taylor traits of fine fruit and inner power combine seamlessly with the ripeness and depth typical of the vintage.
A clearly pronounced personality: powerful, sometimes wild aromas; a marked acidity, which give it a captivating freshness; a fine roundness, sometimes even opulence. In short, an intense wine which has many cards in its hand to win you over.
Review:
Notes of cherries, cassis, peonies and rich spices preface the 2020 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers, a medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated wine that's lively and penetrating. Like its 2019 predecessor, it's especially seamless and charming.
-Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 92-94 Points
Gessinger Zeltinger Schlossberg Kabinett is 100 percent Riesling.
Zeltinger Schlossberg is the little sister of the well-known grand cru site Zeltinger Sonnenuhr. Behind the old village center of Zeltingen rises the steep slope "Zeltinger Schlossberg". On the exposed vineyards of blue Devonian slate, juicy wines full of character and minerality ripen.
The Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett is made from fruit picked at around 86° Oechsle and was fermented to fruity-styled levels of residual sugar (42 g/l). It has a quite restrained and smoky nose of anise, Conference pear, bergamot, rose, lime tree, dill, and eucalyptus. The wine proves superbly playful, finely juicy, and fruity on the palate. This rounder and richer side is nicely buffered off by more structure and intensity in the very long and smoky finish. The feel of residual sugar is already well integrated in the after-taste, which is already more off-dry than fully fruity as lime and grapefruit skin dominate.
Acidity 8.6 g/l
Residual sugar 42 g/l
perfect match to Asian cuisine, spicy food as well as BBQ.